Today’s image comes from nature photographer Max Seigal, who captured it along the rim of Black Canyon in Colorado’s Gunnison National Park. Max told EarthSky how he created this image:

I saw this tree while hiking and knew that it would be perfect for a light orb shot at night given its unique curve in the trunk. I set out around 1 a.m. to hike back to this tree (which wasn’t nearly as easy to find in the pitch black of night) and when I arrived I set up my camera gear in the orientation I wanted. Next, I tied a flashlight to a string – this is how I created the orb affect. After opening the shutter, I ran across to the base of the tree, turned on the flashlight and swing it round and round with the string that it was attached to. It takes a lot of practice to get good looking orbs, but it’s an absolute blast and I would highly recommend it for anyone who’s trying to get an artistic look to their night photographs!

Chris Comfort, Technology Manager, oversees EarthSky's systems and infrastructure, and the development and maintenance of EarthSky.org. He loves working with a company dedicated to nature and science. His favorite thing about EarthSky? The wonderful images of nature coming in from EarthSky's global photographic community.